Stropping and honing device



W. BROWN STROPPING AND HONING DEVICE Deco 17, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1933 Ema E7 1935 w. BROWN 2,024,272

STROPPING AND HONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 20, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Dec. 17, 1935 PATENT OFFICE STROPPING AND HONING DEVICE WilliamBrown, Shetlield, England, assignor oi" one-half to Darwins Limited,Shefl'leld, England Application September 20, 1933, Serial No. 690,258In Great Britain November 1, 1932 7 Claims.

This invention relates to stropping, honing and like appliances of thetype in which a blade holder is pivoted to a carriage which isreciprocated along guides at the sides of a strop or hone, and the bladeholder is turned at the end of each reciprocation by a rack and piniondevice, the object of the invention being to provide improvements in theconstruction and operation.

It has been proposed to mount a rack to turn or to slide on the carriageand to gear with a pinion on the blade holder spindle, the latter beingturned at the end of each reciprocation by moving the rack on thecarriage and the force to reciprocate the carriage and to applysharpening pressure between the blade and strop or hone beingtransmitted through the rack and pinion.

According to the present invention, however, the rack is not mounted onthe carriage but the blade holder is automatically turned by aconstruction in which a pinion at each end of the blade holder spindleaxis gears with a rack rigidly carried by a slide housed in and movablealong the carriage guide at the side of the strop or hone, andreciprocations of the slides are transmitted to the blade holder andthence to the carriage, through the racks and pinions.

The two slides are preferably connected by a cross piece providing oneend of a box-like receptacle containing the carriage and the strop orhone and it will be appreciated that the cross piece forms a handle foroperating the device, the construction being such that whenever thedirection of movement of the slides is reversed the racks will firstslide in relation to the carriage, turning the blade holder until theblade comes into contact with the strop or hone. Thereafter the carriagewill be caused to move with the slides along the guides, power beingtransmitted through the rack teeth and pinions to the blade holder andthence both to the carriage to reciprocate it and to the blade to applythe desired sharpening pressure. If desired friction devices may beprovided between the carriage and its guides or between the carriage andthe strop or hone for increasing the sharpening pressure by providingadditional resistance to movement of the carriage.

The guides for the slides and racks are conveniently of a channel-likesection with the channel walls turned round so that the edges face eachother, the carriage being guided by the facing edges of the channelwalls. The carriage preferably comprises end brackets having slideprojections fitting between the facing edges of the channel walls, theblade holder being journalled in these end brackets which are connectedby a base portion.

The blade holder preferably comprises a slotted spring sleeve, the bladebeing located therein by 5 engagement of a protuberance in the sleevewith a recess in the back of the blade. The spring sleeve may beflexibly connected to the blade holder spindle journalled in thecarriage by means of an intermediate part attached to both 10 the sleeveand the spindle with a certain amount of play at one orboth of suchattachments. Conveniently the intermediate member is riveted to thespring sleeve, the head of the rivet providing the protuberance referredto above for en- 15' gagement by a recess in the back of the blade inorder to locate the parts in their proper positions.

The intermediate member may be shaped to fitv the spindle and beprovided with a stud which 0 passes through a hole in the spindle and isriveted or otherwise loosely secured thereto. A spring may be providednormally taking up the play provided between the spring sleeve and thespindle. 25

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan of a stropplng and honing appliance according to thepresent invention, with the cover removed.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of Figure 1. 30

Figure 3 is a detached elevation of the cover of the appliance shown inFigures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an end view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section of the appliance with the cover inplace. 35

Figure 6 is a detached elevation of the carriage and blade holder.

Figure '7 is a. plan of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a sectional elevation onthe line 11-12 of Figure '1. 40

Figure 9 is a side elevation of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the appliance.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings. 4

In carrying out the present invention a box-like receptacle is providedcomprising two sides H and 'an end H. The sides II and end H. arepreferably joined by abase l3 as shown in Figures 2 and 5 although, insome cases, the strap or 5 hone may itself form the base.

Each of the sides I l carr'es or is shaped to pro? vide guides H for theblad v older carriage and; in the construction illustrated, these guides14 are of a channel-like section with the channel walls u it I a thespindle.

turned round as shown at I to be parallel to the base of the channel I4.

The blade holder carriage comprises end brackets I6 having slideprojections II fitting between the in-turned edges I5 of the guides I4as clearly shown in Figures 5 and 9. The end brackets I 6 are connectedby a base portion I 8 and a spindle i9 is journalled in the end bracketsI6. The spindle I9 carries a pinion 20 at each end located in the guidesM.

A slide 2| is mounted to move longitudinally in each of the guides I4and at one end each of the slides 2| is provided with a rigid rackextension 22 gearing with one of the pinions 20. The slides 2| areshaped to fit in the channel guides |4 so as to be housed therein andtheirrack extensions 22 are sufficiently reduced in size to pass betweenthe pinions 20 and the adjacent parts of the guides I4.

A sharpening surface is fitted in the box-like receptacle of theapparatus between the carriage I6, I 8 and the base I3. Such asharpening surface may be secured to, or form the base I3 but, asillustrated, there are preferably two sharpening surfaces, namely, astrop 23 and a hone 24 secured to opposite faces of a suitable plate 25which may be clamped in grooves along the sides I l by one or morespring loaded plungers 26. By removing the plate 25 and replacing it ina reversed position, the hone 23 may be substituted in operativeposition for the strop 23.

The blade holder comprises a slotted spring sleeve 21 which is rivetedat 28 by a rivet 29 to an intermediate member 30 fiexibly connected tothe spindle I9 of the carriage in any suitable manner, such as by meansof the rivet 29 passing through both the intermediate member 33 and thespindle IS, a head 3| of the rivet being on one side of the spindle I9and the intermediate member 33 on the other side with the desired amountof play between these parts. As shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 theintermediate member 30 is preferably shaped to fit against the spindleI9, and in order to enable the blade holder sleeve 21 to be turned atright angles to the spindle l9 to facilitate the insertion of a blade inthe holder and its withdrawal therefrom, a spring 32 may be riveted tothe spindle l9 and engage between the spindle I9 and the rivet head 3|preferably at a recessed part of The spring 32 and recess, or the springalone if bent away from the spindle, will thus both take up and providethe play required in the attachments of the blade holder 21 to thespindle I9, as well as enable the sleeve 21 to'be turned round the axisof the rivet 29.

A hollow ground blade 33 is illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8 and itwill be appreciated that it may be held in the carriage by sliding itlengthwise along the slot of the spring sleeve 21. The blade 33 ispreferably located in a central position by providing its back witharecess or depression to be engaged by the head 28 of the rivet 29, or byany other suitableprotuberance.

The two slides 2| are connected at the ends remote from their rackextensions 22 by a cross piece 34 which may provide both one end of thebox-like receptacle of the apparatus and a handle for reciprocating theslides 2| along the guides I4. The cross piece 34 may, however, beprovided with flange extensions 35 to be used as a handle when graspingthe cross piece to operate the apparatus.

Assuming the blade to be in the blade holder sleeve 21 in the positionshown in Figure l, and that the cross piece 34 of the slides 2| be movedtowards the apparatus to close the box-like receptacle, the racks 22will first slide in relation to the carriage I6, I 8 turning the pinions23 clockwise as viewed in Figure 2 until the blade 33 comes to rest onthe strop 23 on the opposite side of the spindle I9. Thereafter thecarriage itself will be caused to move with the slides 2| along theguides 5 I4, I5 and it will be appreciated that power-"applied to theslides 2| will be transmitted through the rack teeth 22 and pinions 20to the blade holder I9 and thence both to the carriage to reciprocate itand to the blade 33 on the strop 23 to apply the desired sharpeningpressure. This sharpening pressure is proportional to the resistance tomovement opposed by the carriage and the friction between the blade andstrop, and means may be provided for adjusting the sharpening pressureby varying the resistance to movement of the carriage. For this purposefriction devices may be provided between the carriage brackets I 6 orthe spindle I9 or pinions 29 and the guides I4, I5 or between thecarriage and the strop or hone. Such friction devices may be adjustable.Thus, for example, adjustable spring plungers carried by the brackets I6may bear on the guides I4, or a spring or springs may be fitted to thebase I8 of the carriage to bear against the sharpening surface.

When the direction of reciprocating the slides 2| is reversed the mereact of reversal will cause the racks 22 first to slide in relation tothe carriage I6, I8 and thereby to turn the blade 33 over to the side ofthe spindle I9 on which it is shown in Figure 1. After the blade 33 hascome into contact with the strop 23 the longitudinal movement of theslides 2| will be communicated to the carriage and to the blade.

It will be appreciated that the flexible connection of the holder 21 tothe spindle |9 will enable the blade 33 automatically to bear evenly onthe strop 23 or hone 24.

The box-like receptacle of the device is preferably provided with a lidor cover 35 having an inturned hook-like fiange 31 at one end to engagea suitable recess 38 of the box end I2 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Atits other end the lid 36 is provided with a catch 39 passing through aslot 49 in the upper flange 35 of the cross-piece handle 34 and adaptedto engage the head 4| of a springcontrolled plunger 42 having anoperating button 43 accessible outside the cross piece 34. By pressingthe button 43 the plunger 42 may be moved against the action of itsspring 44 to release its head 4| from the catch 39. The catch 39 ispreferably provided with an inclined cam portion 45 co-operating withthe head 4| of the plunger 42 to raise the lid 36 sufliciently tofacilitate access of the fingers to remove it.

The lid may be fitted with spring clips 43 to grasp a safety razor 41and to hold it inside the apparatus for storage and transport purposes.

In a modified method of attaching the intermediate member 30 to thespindle I9, the end of the member 30 may loosely embrace the spindlewhich may be provided with collars or may be recessed to preventrelative sliding. movement, any suitable means being provided forpreventing or limiting relative rotation of the intermediate member 30and spindle I9. Or a set screw pin or the like may project inside thepart of theiintermediate member which embraces the spindle and mayengage a suitable recess in the spindle.

What I claim is:-

1. In a razor sharpening appliance, the combination of a framecomprising two sides and a" fixed end permanently connecting the sides,a 1 base providing a sharpening surface joining the 7p sides and end ofthe frame, guides exposed along the inner faces of the two sides of theframe, a carriage slidable along the guides, a blade holder carried by aspindle pivoted to the carriage, a slide housed in and movable alongeach of the carriage guides, a rack rigidly carried by each slide'within its guide, a pinion at each end of the blade holder spindlegearing with one of the racks, a connection between the slides outsidethe guides providing a movable end of a box-like receptacle formed bythe frame and base, and a lid adapted to engage the frame and movableend to lock the slides and to close the receptacle.

2. In a razor sharpening appliance, the combination of a box-likereceptacle comprising two sides, a fixed end and a base, guides exposedinside the receptacle along its sides, a blade holder carriage slidablealong the guides, a slide housed in and movable along each of thecarriage guides and operatively connected to the carriage, a connectionbetween the slides adapted to form a movable end of the receptacle, alid adapted to engage the fixed end of the receptacle and to lock theslides, a spring catch adapted to connect the lid to the movable end andmeans causing release of the catch to move the lid from the movable end.

3. In a razor sharpening appliance, the co'mbination of a pair oflongitudinally extending parallel guides of hollow channel cross-sectiondisposed with their channels inwards and facing one another, a pair ofracks housed within and slidably guided by the channels of the guides, acarriage disposed between, engaging, and slidably guided by the guides,a spindle journalled in the carriage, a blade holder non-rotatablyattached to the spindle, pinions secured respectively to the ends of thespindle entering within the channels of the guides and engaging theracks, means for simultaneously reciprocating the racks and a sharpeningelement extending between the guides.

4. In a razor sharpening appliance, the combination of a pair ofparallel longitudinally extending guides of hollow channel cross-sectiondisposed with their channels inwards facing one another, a pair ofslides extending along, and

slidably guided by the inner faces of the hollow 5. In a razorsharpening appliance, the combination of a pair of side members, an endmember and a base member joined together to form four of the sides of a.rectangular box, a pair of longitudinally extending guides upon theinner sides of 5 the side members, a pair of slides extendinglongitudinally between the side members and slidably guided by theguides, racks respectively carried upon corresponding ends of theslides, a carriage disposed between the side members, slidably engagingand guided by the guides, a spindle journalled in the carriage, a bladeholder nonrotatably carried by the spindle, pinions secured to each endof the spindle and meshing each with a rack to form the sole operativeconnection between the slides and the spindle and carriage, and asharpening surface extending between the side members.

6. In a razor sharpening appliance, the combination of a pair of sidemembers, an end member and a base member joined together to form four ofthe sides of a rectangular box, a pair of longitudinally extendingguides of hollow channel cross-section disposed with their channelsfacing one another upon the inner sides of the side members, a pair ofslides extending along and slidably guided by the inner faces of thehollow guides, racks respectively carried upon the ends of the slidesand housed within the channels of the guides, a carriage disposedbetween, engaging and slidably guided by the guides, a spindlejournalled in the carriage, a blade holder nonrotatably carried by thespindle, pinions secured to each end of the spindle, located each withinthe channel of a guide and meshing each with a rack to form the soleoperative connection between the slides and the spindle and carriage,and a sharpening surface extending between the side members.

7. In a razo'r sharpening appliance, the combi- 40 nation of a pair ofparallel longitudinally extending guides of hollow channelcross-section, the

-walls of each of the side channel guides being turned inwardly so thatthe edges face each other, a pair of slides extending along, andslidably guided by the inner faces of the hollow guides, racksrespectively carried upon corresponding ends of the slides and housedwithin the' hollow guides, a carriage disposed between the hollowguides, projections upon the ends of the carriage fitting between thefacing edges of the channel walls, a spindle journalled in the carriage,a blade holder non-rotatably carried by the spindle, pinions secured toeach end of the spindle, located each within the channel of a guide andmeshing each with a rack to form the sole operative connection betweenthe slides and the spindle and carriage, and a sharpening surfaceextending between the guides.

WILLIAM BROWN.

